The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Durnan keen to play part in recovery
Defender expected to return from injury at East End Park after sitting out Falkirk fiasco
Dundee United central defender Mark Durnan was, mercifully for him, spared a role in the Falkirk fiasco.
Injury meant he sat and watched from the bench as the goals rained down on the Tangerines last Saturday.
However, Durnan is just as determined to turn in a winning performance against Dunfermline at East End Park today as those who were on the park for that 6-1 loss to the Bairns.
Durnan, who is expected to return from an ankle injury to face the Pars, said: “The only way you can react from a disappointing result like that is to come back and win.
“So our full focus is obviously on Dunfermline to make sure we rectify that.
“We must improve and put on a much better performance than we did against Falkirk.
“The determination needs to be there. “The boys want to win the league and do the best they can. The only way you can do that is by winning football matches and putting on a better performance than last weekend.
“At the moment, it’s still raw and it was a difficult one for the boys to take.
“I’m pretty sure they are still hurting, like the supporters and everyone at the club.
“It was a difficult one but you have to bounce back in the next game so we will look to win and hope that builds the momentum.”
Boss Csaba Laszlo revealed earlier in the week that he had gathered the players together for a meeting to go over what happened at the Falkirk Stadium.
Durnan does not think too much should be read into that, though.
He said: “I think he just wanted to have a discussion and see how everyone felt.
“We spoke about what we did wrong. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with having meetings. We have them every day.
“He just wanted to discuss how bad a performance it was and what we did wrong.
“Now we will look to put that right.” It emerged in the wake of the Falkirk result that Jack Ross, manager of Championship leaders St Mirren, had used the Tangerines’ half-time scoreline – 2-1 to the Bairns – in his interval team talk to inspire the Buddies to go on and beat Inverness Caley Thistle with a second half goal and go six points clear at the top.
Durnan took that in his stride, though, saying: “That means St Mirren are keeping an eye on us and worrying about other teams.
“We’re just trying to concentrate on ourselves.
“No one ever knows what the St Mirren score is so that’s fine for them to do that.
“They are obviously interested in our scoreline every weekend.
We just concentrate on our own performances.”
Durnan was very complimentary about the Pars, who have now moved up into third spot – seven behind United – and have won their last three league games.
He said: “We have played them a lot so I know them well.
“They have got good players and they have picked up form.
“I’ve not watched them recently but I
have seen that their results have picked up.
“I’m pretty sure most teams in the league will look at that result (the Falkirk loss) and want to get one over us.
“But we have to grit our teeth and make sure no one takes any more points off us.
“We just have to get the right team on the pitch and make sure the ones out there are doing their jobs right.”